Vol. 544 No. 5
18 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's view of the threat made by Turkey to annexe the Turkish-Cypriot area of Cyprus; the steps being taken to secure a settlement to the dispute over Cyprus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29228/01]
In this context, I welcome reports earlier this week that Mr. Rauf Denktash, the leader of the Turkish Cypriots, has agreed to meet Mr. Glafcos Clerides, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, for face-to-face talks in the presence of a UN representative. This meeting is scheduled to take place in early December. This follows intensive efforts by the UN Secretary General's Special Adviser on Cyprus, Mr. Alvaro de Soto, and by the Secretary General himself. Ireland had earlier expressed in the Security Council our disappointment that Mr. Denktash was unable to accept the Secretary General's invitation to attend talks planned for 12 September. I also wish to register the Government's disappointment at the reported comments of the Turkish Foreign Minister to which the Deputy refers. I met Mr. de Soto when I was in New York on 30 October and discussed the situation with him.
Together with our EU partners, the Government will continue to back unreservedly the efforts of the United Nations Secretary General to resume – without preconditions in line with Security Council Resolution 1250 – the search for a comprehensive and lasting settlement in Cyprus in conformity with the relevant Security Council resolutions. Once again, I call on all parties involved to co-operate in the process with a view to achieving a political settlement before the end of the negotiations for the accession of Cyprus to the European Union.
